Air Jordan 1

The Air Jordan 1, known simply as the Nike Air Jordan when it originally released, first hit stores in 1985 kicking off the greatest legacy in sneakers and forever changing the business of footwear.

With the third pick in the first round of the 1984 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan who would later become known as the greatest to ever play the game. Before landing in the NBA, Michael Jordan had a resume of accomplishments that no one had ever accomplished. While at the University of North Carolina, Michael Jordan led the Tarheels to an NCAA Championship and helped Team USA achieve Gold in the 1984 Olympic Games.

While MJ was a lock for an early selection in the NBA Draft following his career at UNC, what shoes he would wear in the NBA was not a sure thing. Jordan played in Converse while at North Carolina and Adidas while on Team USA in the Olympics and even New Balance in a LIFE magazine photoshoot, but Nike had something to offer unlike any other brand.

Sonny Vaccaro worked with Nike and convinced them to create a Jordan line named after the signature player that was a level above any signature shoe had ever been done. Michael Jordan liked the concept and inked with the then only 12 year old Oregon based brand.

While Michael Jordan would wear the Air Jordan 1 in his rookie season, he did start out his NBA career in the Nike Air Ships before donning his first signature shoe.

Much attention was brought to Jordan’s feet when the NBA began fining Michael $5,000 a game for wearing shoes that did not fit within the NBA’s uniform policy. At the time, shoes had to match the rest of the team with a white base and predominant team color accents or black with white accents. Michael’s black and red shoes were banned by the NBA sparking inspiration for a commercial used by Nike to promote the Air Jordan 1.

Beyond the hype and controversy, Michael Jordan exceeded expectations out of the gate in his rookie season earning a spot on the All-Star team, finished third in scoring (28.2 ppg), brought the Chicago Bulls back to the NBA Playoffs, and took home the Rookie of the Year award.

As stated earlier, the Air Jordan 1 was first released in 1985 as the first signature shoe for Michael Jordan, but was brought back as a retro first in 1994 after his first retirement from the NBA. Michael wore the Air Jordan 1 in his rookie and injury-shortened second season as well as in his final game at Madison Square Garden as a Chicago Bull in 1998.

Retro Air Jordan 1 History

When Michael Jordan unexpectedly stepped away from the NBA and the game of basketball in 1993, Nike decided to reissue or retro prior models of the Air Jordan line in addition to creating the new flagship model.

In 1994, the Air Jordan 1 was first retroed. While some Michael Jordan and Air Jordan enthusiasts were happy to see the return of the Air Jordan 1 as a retro, most of the general public did not. The Air Jordan 1 retro hit clearance tables and sales racks selling as low as $19.99 in many stores.

Times changed quite a bit when the Air Jordan 1 saw its second retro release in 2001 in the Black/Red and Black/Royal colorways. The shoes sold through at retail quite well and resold relatively quickly on eBay and other sites for more than retail price.

The Air Jordan 1 has been released as a retro hundreds of times – literally. Between the highs, mids, and lows, there are literally hundreds of iterations and colorways we have seen of the retro Air Jordan 1.

Today, the Air Jordan 1 high retro is one of the most sought after retro Jordans when brought in original colorways.

Air Jordan 1s for sale

As mentioned above, the Air Jordan 1 has released literally hundreds of times in hundreds of different color and cut combinations. Have a look at the link below for Air Jordan 1s for sale on eBay or navigate to the color of your choice below for a more refined search.

Air Jordan 1 release dates

The Air Jordan 1 retro is one of the most sought after retro Air Jordans to release. At Nice Kicks we have a dedicated release dates page for all sneakers, but if you are in the hunt just for retro Air Jordans or just Air Jordan 1s, check out the Jordan release dates section for the latest news and release dates for upcoming retro Air Jordan shoes.

Michael Jordan wearing the Air Jordan 1

There are many great moments in sports history, but few compare to those moments captured of Michael Jordan wearing his very first signature shoe. Below is a link to a feature of Michael Jordan wearing the Air Jordan 1s.

Michael Jordan wearing the Air Jordan 1

Air Jordan 1 Commercials & Videos

The Air Jordan 1 was Nike’s first shoe for Michael Jordan. To kick things off, the brand put together a string of great and iconic commercials that promoted the Nike Air Jordan (now known as the Air Jordan 1). Below is a link to a feature of all the commercials and related videos of the Air Jordan 1.

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